Case with releasably attached housing

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying and packaging cosmetic items. The display case apparatus for cosmetics and other personal care products comprises a housing having an overall shape defining a peripheral edge; a retainer defining a plurality of interstices, said retainer coupled to said housing such that it is co-extensive with at least a portion of the housing peripheral edge, said retainer having a front whereupon a design is visible whereas the plurality of interstices are disposed at pre-determined portions of the design; at least one holding compartment disposed within at least one retainer interstice for receiving an article. The method comprises the steps of providing a design corresponding to a human body portion having predetermined colors, the design defining interstices at locations in the design corresponding to predetermined body part segments and disposing within the interstices cosmetic and personal care containers of a pre-determined color or shade complimentary with the pre-determined body part segment.

We claim:  
     
       1. A display case apparatus for cosmetics and other personal care products comprising: 
       a housing defining at least one peripheral edge the housing including at least one component of a releasable coupling for releasably coupling the housing to at least a portion of the display case such that the housing is co-extensive with at least a portion of the display case, the display case defining at least one peripheral edge;  
       a retainer defining a plurality of interstices, said retainer coupled to said housing such that it is co-extensive with at least a portion of the housing peripheral edge, said retainer having a front whereupon a predetermined design is displayed, whereas the pluralities of interstices are disposed at positions corresponding to predetermined portions of the design;  
       at least one holding compartment disposed within at least one retainer interstice for receiving an article; and  
       wherein the design displayed on the retainer front is a human face design, the interstices are disposed on the surface of the face, and the articles to be received in the compartments are containers of at least one of cosmetics or personal care articles.  
     
     
       2. The display case apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the human face design has a predetermined color or shade scheme. 
     
     
       3. The display case apparatus or  claim 2 , wherein the containers further comprise a transparent cover allowing the color or shade of the cosmetic and/or personal care articles to be visible to a viewer. 
     
     
       4. The display case apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the cosmetics or personal care articles disposed within the containers have a color complementary to the face design shade or color scheme. 
     
     
       5. The display case apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the containers are of a shape conforming to specific contours of the holding compartments. 
     
     
       6. The display case apparatus of  claim 5  wherein containers of a pre-determined shape are interchangeably disposable within the corresponding holding compartment. 
     
     
       7. The display case apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the shape of the containers corresponds to the particular class of cosmetics or personal care articles contained. 
     
     
       8. The display case apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising attachment means disposed within the holding compartments for releaseably coupling containers within the holding compartments. 
     
     
       9. A method for displaying at least one of cosmetics or personal care articles comprising the steps of: 
       providing a design corresponding to a human body portion having predetermined colors, the design defining interstices at locations in the design corresponding to pre-determined body part segments;  
       disposing within the interstices cosmetic and personal care containers of a predetermined color or shade complimentary with the pre-determined body part segment; and  
       attaching said design to a housing, the housing comprising a releasable coupling for the housing to a case.  
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  further comprising alternatively placing and removing containers within the body part segment interstices of differing pre-determined colors or shade. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9  wherein the human body portion is a facial design. 
     
     
       12. A display case apparatus for cosmetics and other personal care products comprising: 
       a housing having an inner surface on which a pre-determined design is displayed, said housing including a releasable coupling to secure the housing to said display case;  
       a optically transparent retainer defining a plurality of interstices, said retainer coupled to said housing overlaying said housing inner surface such that the surface predetermined design is visible through said retainer and whereas the plurality or interstices are disposed at portions corresponding to pre-determined portions of the design;  
       at least one holding compartment disposed within at least one retainer interstice for receiving an article; and  
       the pre-determined design displayed housing inner surface being a human face design and the pre-determined positions corresponding to portions of the face, and the articles to be received in the compartments are containers of at least one of cosmetics or personal care articles.  
     
     
       13. The display case apparatus of  12 , further comprising containers disposed within ax least one holding compartment. 
     
     
       14. The display case apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the containers have a plurality of segmented compartments each to receive a pre-determined cosmetic product. 
     
     
       15. The display case apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising attachment means disposed within the holding compartments for releasably coupling containers within the holding compartments. 
     
     
       16. The display case apparatus of  claim 12  wherein containers of a pre-determined shape are interchangeably disposable within the corresponding holding compartment. 
     
     
       17. The display case apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the shape of the containers corresponds to the particular class of cosmetics or personal care articles. 
     
     
       18. A display case apparatus for cosmetics and other personal care products comprising: 
       a housing having an inner surface on which a pre-determined design is displayed, said housing including a releasable coupling to secure the housing to said display case;  
       a optically transparent retainer defining a plurality of interstices, said retainer coupled to said housing overlaying said housing inner surface such that the surface predetermined design is visible through said retainer and whereas the plurality or interstices are disposed at portions corresponding to pre-determined portions of the design;  
       at least one holding compartment disposed within at least one retainer interstice for receiving an article; and  
       the housing inner surface being a first inner surface and the housing having a second inner surface having a mirror occupying at least apart of the second inner surface.